Report Of The Board Of Directors (BOD) - NIST

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BOD 2013 Final ReportReport of theBoard of Directors (BOD)Mr. Stephen Benjamin, ChairmanNorth Carolina100 INTRODUCTIONThis is the report of the Board of Directors (hereinafter referred to as the “Board”) for the 98th Annual Meeting ofthe National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM). This report is based on the Interim Report offered inthe NCWM Publication 16, testimony heard at public hearings, comments received from the regional weights andmeasures associations and other parties, the addendum sheets issued at the Annual Meeting, and actions taken by themembership at the voting session of the Annual Meeting. The Informational items presented below were adopted aspresented when the Committee’s report was approved.Table A identifies the agenda and appendix items. Agenda items are identified in the Report by Reference Key Number,Item Title, and Page Number. Item numbers are those assigned in the Interim Meeting agenda. A Voting item is indicatedwith a “V” after the item number. An item marked with an “I” after the reference key number is an Informational item.An item marked with a “D” after the reference key number is a Developing item. The developing designation indicates anitem has merit; however, the item was returned to the submitter for further development before any action can be taken atthe national level. An agenda “Item Under Consideration” is a statement of proposal and not necessarily arecommendation of the BOD. Suggested revisions are shown in bold face print by striking out information to be deletedand underlining information to be added. Table B lists the results of any Voting Items.Note: It is the policy to use metric units of measurement in publications; however, recommendations received by NCWMtechnical committees and regional weights and measures associations have been printed in this publication as submitted.Therefore, the report may contain references to inch-pound units.Subject Series ListIntroduction . 100 SeriesActivity Reports. 110 SeriesStrategic Planning, Policies, and Bylaws. 120 SeriesFinancials . 130 SeriesOther Items – Developing Items . 140 SeriesBOD - 1

BOD 2013 Final ReportTable ATable of ContentsReference KeyTitle of ItemBOD Page100INTRODUCTION . 1110ACTIVITY REPORTS. 3110-1110-2110-3110-4110-5120IIIIISTRATEGIC PLANNING, POLICIES, AND BYLAWS . 9120-1120-2120-3120-4130Membership and Meeting Attendance . 3NCWM Newsletter and Website. 5Meetings Update . 6Participation in International Standard Setting . 7Associate Membership Committee (AMC) Activity . 8IIIVStrategic Planning . 9Regional Support . 10Standing Committees Support . 11Section L. Classifications for Agenda Items, Section M. Developing Items . 13FINANCIALS . 15130-1IFinancial Report . 15APPENDICESA ––Item 110-4: Report of the Activities of the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML)and Regional Legal Metrology Organizations . A1B ––Item 110-5: Associate Membership Committee (AMC) Agenda and Draft Meeting Minutes. B1Table BVoting ResultsReference KeyNumberHouse of StateRepresentativesYeas120-4NaysHouse of DelegatesResultsYeasNaysUnanimous Voice Vote of allMembershipBOD - 2Adopted

BOD 2013 Final ReportTable CGlossary of Acronyms and TermsAcronymTermAcronymTermAMCAssociate Membership CommitteeNISTNational Institute of Standards andTechnologyCTTConformity to TypeNTEPNational Type Evaluation ProgramISWMInternational Society of Weighing andMeasuringOIMLInternational Organization of LegalMetrologyMAAMutual Acceptance ArrangementOWMOffice of Weights and MeasuresL&RLaws and Regulations CommitteePDCProfessional Development CommitteeNCWMNational Conference on Weights andMeasuresVCAPVerified Conformity AssessmentProgramDetails of All Items(In order by Reference Key)110 ACTIVITY REPORTS110-1IMembership and Meeting AttendanceMembership levels remain fairly steady, not yet rebounding to levels experienced before the decline in the economyand organizational budgets.NEWMA members support continued outreach to other organizations such as the presentation Mr. Jim Truexprovided to International Society of Weighing and Measuring (ISWM) this year. Associate Membership Committee(AMC) members are in a position to draw in more members from other industries, too. A member commented thatthe NCWM Board should be more aggressive to get new members. There was concern for maintaining a quorum atthe Annual Meeting during continued economic stress. Special deals or professional recruitment may make sense toget more members to attend Annual and Interim Meetings. NEWMA supports the development of a toolkit to helpjurisdictions garner legislative support and avoid privatization of weights and measures programs (see Item 110-5).The Professional Certification Program should get more people involved and that may increase membership.The Board recognized that the pool of potential members, especially regulatory officials, has significantly decreasedas a result of downsized or eliminated programs resulting from budget cuts. The Board does believe thatmembership levels will significantly increase once the Professional Certification Program is fully developed and canbe referenced for registered service agencies and inspector pay grades. The price structure for the exams is set toheavily favor membership as an alternative to paying non-member exam fees.The following is a comparison of NCWM membership levels for the past ten years.BOD - 3

BOD 2013 Final ReportMembership Levels for the Past 10 overnmentAnnual Membership TotalsThe attendance for the 2012 and 2013 Interim Meetings in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Charleston, South Carolina,respectively was very strong. Attendance also improved for the 97th Annual Meeting, in Portland, Maine, and thoselevels were maintained very closely for the 98th Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. Participation has beenBOD - 4

BOD 2013 Final Reportvery good for the Sunday afternoon special work sessions of Subcommittees and Task Groups. These sessionsbenefit the standards development process, and add value for stakeholders who attend Interim and Annual Meetings.See Item 110-3 for information on future meetings.110-2INCWM Newsletter and WebsiteNewsletter:The Board continuously considers ways to monitor and improve the content of the newsletter and website.Members are encouraged to bring ideas and articles forward for inclusion in newsletters. Of particular interest arearticles that would be pertinent to field inspectors and the service industry.Website Improvements:At the 2012 Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors approved a number of enhancements to the website. Some ofthese new features include: Add a mobile-friendly version for popular features including the NTEP database search;Add the option of instant PDF download for NCWM Publication 14 sales;Add the ability to apply online for NTEP certification;Improve the shopping cart experience; andFull website integration with the Professional Certification Program testing site for an automated customerexperience.The new website was functional in May 2013.NEWMA voted to invest 1,500 to add online meeting registration and dues payments to their website as part of theproject scope for NCWM’s new website. That project is complete and now all four regional associations haveecommerce using NCWM’s merchant services account for credit card processing.Many members have expressed appreciation for the mobile-friendly version for searching and downloading NTEPCertificates of Conformance in the field via smart phones etc., noting that field officials probably visit that area ofthe website more often than any other. There was a suggestion that the website include a list of duties for each staffperson and provide a welcome and introduction to new staff persons.A member asked that all of the safety articles from past newsletters be posted in one location on the website foreasier access to download.This request has been implemented and the articles may be accessedat: www.ncwm.net/resource/safety/articles.Comments and suggestions for improvements to the newsletter and website should be directed to NCWM at(402) 434-4880 or info@ncwm.net.Online Position Forum:The purpose of the Online Position Forum is to help members prepare for the deliberations and voting at the AnnualMeeting in July by having a better idea of positions others may have.Activity on the site increased somewhat in the second year for the Online Position Forum, but it remains light. TheBoard believes that participation will increase in time as members become more comfortable with it and ascommittee agenda items generate interest. Improvements were made following the first experience in 2011 so thatcomments are more easily viewed.The Online Position Forum is not a voting system. Comments and positions entered there are not binding. It issimply a method to present positions, opinions, and supporting documents. All active, associate, and advisorymembers have the opportunity to login, view committee agenda items, enter positions and comments, and evenupload supporting .pdf documents for each agenda item of standing committees or the Board.BOD - 5

BOD 2013 Final ReportNCWM notifies members when the forum is ready for them to enter their comments each spring. The commentperiod will end on May 31. The options for each agenda item are: Support;Support with Comments;Oppose with Comments;Neutral; orNeutral with Comments.Beginning in 2014, the Forum will be reconfigured so that members can view the comments and positions thatothers have submitted prior to submitting their own. However, the site is not a blog. Once a member submitspositions, that member cannot submit more positions.NEWMA supports continuing the Online Position Forum and remains hopeful that more members will participate inthe future.Social Networking:Over the past year, NCWM has posted many news articles and other items of interest to the weights and measurescommunity on the social networks. This has increased interest in the social network accounts with LinkedIn,Facebook, and Twitter. These accounts were formed to improve NCWM’s outreach and raise awareness of ourorganization. By opening these accounts, NCWM is now more visible in internet search engines and will be moreidentifiable to tech-savvy stakeholders. They will find links to weights and measures related news stories and theywill be kept informed throughout the Interim and Annual Meetings of special announcements including any changesin schedule. Members who participate in these social networks are encouraged to follow NCWM as a means ofcreating even more exposure with their friends and colleagues.Compliments were offered to NCWM for posting links to pertinent news pieces related to weights and measures onthe NCWM Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts and to NIST for posting them to the Directors e-mail listserv.Professional Certification Program:Individuals may submit requests for NCWM Professional Certification Exams at www.ncwm.net. Exams are freefor members and 75 for non-members. The NCWM website is now fully integrated with the online testing service.As orders are received, the applicant receives an automated e-mail with credentials and instructions for accessing theexam. An applicant who does not pass the exam in the first attempt may have one retake. After that, it will benecessary to reapply.NEWMA noted that the Professional Certification Program is a tremendous opportunity for training and education.Members are looking forward to additional exams.Certification is now available in three areas, including: Retail Motor Fuel Dispensing Systems;Package Checking Basic; andSmall Capacity Weighing Systems Class III.See the Professional Development Committee Report for information on additional exams under development.110-3IMeetings UpdateInterim Meetings: January 19 - 22, 2014 January 18 - 21, 2015 January 2016Hotel Albuquerque, Albuquerque, New MexicoHilton Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach, FloridaHotel to be selected in San Diego or Orange County, CaliforniaBOD - 6

BOD 2013 Final ReportAnnual Meetings: July 13 - 17, 2014 July 19 - 23, 2015The Westin Book Cadillac Hotel, Detroit, MichiganSheraton Society Hill Hotel, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaNCWM strives to plan meetings in locations that offer comfortable rooms and a variety of entertainment and diningoptions close by. The following is a brief description of future planned events.The 2014 Annual Meeting will be held at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel in downtown Detroit, Michigan. ThisItalian Renaissance-style hotel is in the National Register of Historic Places. There are restaurants in the area toassure attendees of evening enjoyment.The Board has selected Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the 100th NCWM Annual Meeting in 2015. The SheratonSociety Hill Hotel provides easy access to the rich history and evening food and entertainment.The top three cities for the 2016 Interim Meeting were ranked in order of preference by the Board with San Diego,California; first, Orange County/Los Angeles, California, area; second, and Phoenix, Arizona; third. If there isenough competition in San Diego to secure desired rates, NCWM will limit site visits to that city.100th NCWM Annual Meeting:The Board hopes to make the 2015 Annual Meeting a very special event and one that you won’t want to miss. Inaddition to addressing the business of the organization, NCWM will be celebrating its 100th Annual Meeting;110 years after our first meeting in 1905. A small work group is developing plans for the 100th NCWM AnnualMeeting in 2015. Originally, the Board looked at Washington, DC, Boston, Massachusetts, and Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, because of their historic significance. At NEWMA’s request, proposals were also requested fromBaltimore, Maryland. The final decision was the Sheraton Society Hill in Philadelphia. The Work Group willconsider special events to commemorate and bring excitement to the occasion. Suggestions may be forwarded toMs. Elisa Robertson, NCWM Office Manager, at (402) 434-4872 or elisa.robertson@ncwm.net.110-4IParticipation in International Standard SettingConformity to TypeInternational Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) is considering development of a Conformity to Type (CTT)program. An OIML Seminar on CTT was held in June 2011 in Utrecht, The Netherlands. NCWM was invited toshare its experience with the NTEP Conformity Assessment Program and in particular, the Verified ConformityAssessment Program (VCAP). The presentation was given by Mr. Onwiler, NCWM Executive Director. NCWM ishopeful that the VCAP Audit Reports can also satisfy the needs of the OIML CTT at a significant savings tocertificate holders. Mr. Flocken, Mettler-Toledo, LLC, made a presentation with perspectives from themanufacturing industry. Dr. Ehrlich, National Institute of Standards Technology (NIST), Office of Weights andMeasures (OWM), was in attendance and participated in the discussions. An OIML subcommittee has been formedto research and make recommendations on the development of an OIML CTT program.Mutual Acceptance Arrangement (MAA)Mr. Truex, NTEP Administrator, attended the Committee on Participant Review in Germany in 2011. Resolutionswere developed at that meeting for the amendment of B10, the certificate system under the MAA. The spirit of theresolutions was to allow utilizing authorities to voluntarily accept manufacturer test data under the MAA. Theresolutions were adopted in 2012. (See the NTEP Committee Interim Meeting Report for more detail and Board ofDirector’s Report, Appendix A.)Dr. Ehrlich, NIST, OWM, gave a report of OIML activities at the 2013 NCWM Interim Meeting. Mr. Ralph Richtergave a report of the OIML activities at the 2013 NCWM Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. This report isincluded as an Appendix A to the Report of the Board of DirectorsBOD - 7

BOD 2013 Final Report110-5IAssociate Membership Committee (AMC) ActivityThe Associate Membership Committee is organized in accordance with the Bylaws of the National Conference onWeights and Measures, Inc. In addition, AMC operates by its own Bylaws which are available on the Committeepages of www.ncwm.net. AMC meets at least two times per year in conjunction with NCWM Interim and AnnualMeetings. It consists of between 5 and 10 members who, amongst themselves, elect officers to serve as Chairman,Vice Chairman, and Secretary/Treasurer. AMC has established a reputation of promoting and improving NCWMand has demonstrated its desire to improve understanding of weights and measures activities in public and privatesectors.The membership dues for Associate members ( 90) are higher than that for Active or Advisory members ( 75). Theextra 15 is not for NCWM, but rather is placed in a separate account referred to as the AMC Training Fund. AMCreceives applications and awards training scholarships in accordance with their “Guidelines for Selection andApproval of Training Funds” that are posted on the Committee’s portion of www.ncwm.net. Downloadablescholarship applications and reimbursement forms are also available there or applications may be made online.AMC training fund selection criteria are as follows:1.Training fund request forms that are complete, specific, and detailed will receive priority attention forapproval. Based on the degree of missing or ambiguous information provided, individual requests may notbe given any consideration during the AMC review process.2.Training requests that benefit higher numbers of participants are generally preferred over those for fewer orsingle-person benefit. Multi-state training that encourages uniformity will also be given priorityconsideration.3.In general, attending meetings will not be considered training, especially requests for travel expense orattendance fees for NCWM Annual, Interim, or Regional meetings.4.As a lower priority, requests for the purchase of training materials will be considered, but requests forpurchase of assets (such as LCD projectors) will not.5.Reasonable funding for travel and expenses will be considered if it is necessary to acquire an “experttrainer” that would benefit a high number of weights and measures officials. This will be an option whenqualified volunteers are not available.Members of AMC have become concerned that the funds are underutilized in recent years. Regulatory agencies areencouraged to make use of these funds to improve training opportunities and the expertise of inspection personnel.AMC members are also looking for new, perhaps innovative ways to play a more effective role in the NCWMstructure in an effort to further improve the organization. Some new initiatives that AMC is discussing include: Promotional Tool-Kit: AMC has offered funds to assist NCWM in creating a “tool kit” that weights andmeasures administrators could use to improve awareness and support through adequate funding of theirprograms. This tool kit could consist of many elements for targeting media, consumers, governmentadministrators, and legislators. AMC has proposed a work group to pursue this project. Tradeshow Seminars: AMC is interested in organizing training or awareness seminars at industry typetradeshows with the idea of reaching out to the smaller industry groups that are impacted by the work ofNCWM. This effort would be good for the smaller industries as well as providing possible increase inNCWM membership and participation.AMC meetings are open to all registered NCWM meeting attendees. All Associate Members are encouraged toattend these meetings, become familiar with the Committee, and offer ideas for how it can further pursue itsobjectives. (See Appendix B of the Board report for the AMC Meeting Minutes.)BOD - 8

BOD 2013 Final ReportThe NEWMA Board of Directors has expressed appreciation specifically for the support that the AMC has providedthrough training funds, and they look forward to the development of the Promotional Toolkit.120 STRATEGIC PLANNING, POLICIES, AND BYLAWS120-1IStrategic PlanningThe Executive Director presents a strategic plan progress report each year at the fall Board meeting. The Boardconducts a strategic planning session in January at its quarterly meeting just prior to the Interim meeting. The Boardmade several updates and changes to the Strategic Plan in January 2013. Members are able to review the StrategicPlan at online at www.ncwm.net. NEWMA has pledged assistance for NCWM to achieve its goals. The Boardwelcomes member input.Five NCWM Strategic Plan Goals:1.2.3.4.5.Enhance NCWM as a national and international resource for measurement standards development.Expand the role of NCWM as a resource for state and local weights and measures programs.Promote uniform training for individuals involved in weights and measures.Continue to improve NTEP.Preserve the financial stability of NCWM.NCWM as a National and International Resource:Strategy 1: This goal was initially to implement the Online Position Forum. That was completed in 2011 and thestrategy is now to make improvements to the program and promote increased use of it by our membership. Severalideas have been implemented to generate interest. Additionally, guidance has been developed to assist committeesin how to preview and use comments in a consistent manner.The following new strategies were added to this goal:Strategy 2: Identify, communicate and collaborate with other regulatory, industry, and standards developmentorganizations, foreign and domestic, to strengthen awareness of NCWM and draw on mutual resources towardmutual goals.Strategy 3: Increase consumer group participation in NCWM through outreach efforts.Expand the Role of NCWM as a Resource to Officials:Initially, a strategy under this goal was to conduct annual surveys of the states to gather specific information forbenchmarking purposes. In 2013, the strategy was modified to provide flexibility on the frequency and subjectmatter for surveys.Many programs are experiencing severe budget cuts that are diminishing their effectiveness. The AMC hasexpressed interest in assisting with the development of a “tool kit” that can be used by program administrators togenerate awareness and support for their programs. This toolkit will contain materials including data supporting aregulatory presence, industry contacts that can be called upon to explain the necessity of a regulatory presence toensure a level playing field for businesses and consumer protection, and a short video production.Promote Uniform Training:The Professional Certification Program is a top priority under this goal. Two new exams were added in 2012 andseveral more are in development. Mr. Ross Andersen continues to serve as Certification Exam Coordinator workingwith the PDC and subject matter experts. The Board believes this arrangement will greatly assist the PDC indeveloping a full line of certification exams.Some states are expressing interest in using the Professional Certification Program as a prerequisite toregistering/licensing service agents. There is discussion that the exams may be more difficult for service agents whohave not received the level of Handbooks 44 (Specifications, Tolerances, and Other Technical Requirements forBOD - 9

BOD 2013 Final ReportWeighing and Measuring Devices), 130 (Uniform Laws and Regulations in the Areas of Legal Metrology andEngine Fuel Quality), and 133 (Checking the Net Content of Packaged Goods) training that regulatory officialsreceive. If the exams are too difficult, it could provide a costly delay to service agencies that are trying to establishemployees as qualified to work independently and with the privileges of being registered or licensed. The counterargument would be that the Professional Certification Program should elevate concerns over the quality of serviceagents as well as regulatory officials. See more discussion on this in the PDC report.Several amendments were made to the various strategies in this goal and a new strategy was added to create anational directory of weights and measures officials at all levels of government. NCWM will need to determine aneffective method to compile the information.Continue to Improve NTEP:NCWM surveyed regulatory officials this past year to determine how they access NTEP Certificates ofConformance in the field. This will be used as a benchmark. As technology advances, NCWM will have a betterunderstanding for how it can make Certificates of Conformance more accessible. In 2013, NCWM will offer amobile friendly version of the website which will benefit those who access the NTEP database with their smartphones.A strategy of high priority under this goal is to maintain viable support for NTEP laboratories. Mr. Truex, NTEPAdministrator, monitors the number of full-time equivalents associated with the authorized laboratories and tracksevaluation time and backlog statistics to ensure that NTEP evaluations can be completed in a timely manner. Hereports these statistics quarterly to the NTEP Committee and Board of Directors.NCWM has a contingency plan in place to ensure evaluation services are maintained for NTEP applicants in theevent that insufficient services were available under the current authorized laboratory system. The Board ismonitoring its available resources toward that end in hopes that NCWM will eventually be in a position toimplement the worst-case scenario, should the need arise. Another strategy toward this goal is the continueddevelopment of the Verified Conformity Assessment Program which has already successfully addressed load cellsand has moved on to the next device-type category. (See the NTEP Committee Report for more details.)Preserve Financial Stability:This goal was originally to “ensure” financial stability. Financial reports of the past several years indicate thatNCWM is financially stable barring any unexpected circumstances. However, NCWM must recognize that it doesnot have sufficient reserves at this time to fully implement the NTEP contingency plan that was developed to ensurecontinued evaluation services if the authorized state laboratories fell victim to budget cuts. The Board has studiedNCWM’s needs for reserves for NTEP and other potential exposures. This is being balanced with continued effortsto improve services in support of customers and membership. NCWM finances are reviewed annually.120-2IRegional SupportMeeting Documents on Regional Websites:In the fall of 2011, NCWM made efforts to be the clearinghouse for all new proposals being submitted to theregional associations. Since then, staff has been looking for ways to further streamline the process while improvingdocuments, reports, and communication. NCWM provides the regional committees with a report template thatcontains all of the regions carryover items and new proposals. The templates are improved each year based onfeedback and efforts to streamline the reporting process for everyone.The report templates in 2013 have been modified based on extensive discussions at the 2012 Committee Orientationsessions. Regional committees should find them to be less confusing for presenting the discussions,recommendations, and regional decisions. NEWMA committee chairs expressed that the process is now mucheasier to work with and also members have a clearer understanding of the issues. Downloading agenda items forinterim and annual meetings is made much easier. They also stated that the new format for NCWM Publication 15works very well and the d

Board of Directors (BOD) Mr. Stephen Benjamin, Chairman . North Carolina . 100 INTRODUCTION This is the report of the Board of Directors (hereinafter referred to as the "Board") for the th. 98. Annual Meeting of the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM). This report is based on the Interim Report offered in